×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
WWII AIRCRAFT
X-PLANE AIRCRAFT
Aviation / Aerospace

Douglas Model 423


Heavy Bomber Design Proposal [ 1944 ]



The Douglas Model 423 was intended for the heavy bomber role with the USAAF prior to the American entry in World War 2 - it was not furthered beyond a proposal.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/05/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
By the middle of 1941, World War 2 as in full swing and American authorities looked into the possibility of the United States being pulled into the conflict - particularly if allied Britain were to fall as did France. This spurred the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) to seek out a new all-modern, long-range heavy bomber with capabilities to fly outside of the reach of enemy air defenses (including interceptors) and far into enemy-held territory. Douglas aircraft was one of the firms to respond to the requirement and delivered their Model 423 as a result. The competition was eventually won by a design put forth by Consolidated which went on to become the post-war B-36 "Peacemaker".

The Douglas entry relied on 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" air-cooled radial piston engines, each outputting 3,000 horsepower. As drawn up, the aircraft exhibited a length of 35.75 meters with a wingspan reaching 63.09 meters and a height of 14.5 meters. Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) was in the vicinity of 90,000 kilograms. Douglas engineers suggested their aircraft could have a range out to 9,654 kilometers.

Internally there would be a crew of eight to man the various positions about the aircraft. One key physical characteristic of the design was its pilot's set within individual bubble-style canopy cockpits along the forward section of the airframe. The bomb bay would hold upwards of 11,340 kilograms of conventional drop munitions. Up to six 0.50 caliber Browning M2 heavy machine guns, set in three remote-controlled power-operated turrets (one dorsally, one ventrally, one at the tail) would be featured to defend the aircraft from enemy fighters.

In the end, the Model 423 fell by the wayside as the Consolidated B-36 program was selected and pushed to operational-level service. A first-flight of a prototype was had in August of 1946, at which time the war was all but over, and service entry occurred in 1949 - much too late to make any sort of impact in World War 2.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Douglas Aircraft - USA
Manufacturer(s)
United States (cancelled)
Operators National flag of the United States
1944
Service Year
United States
National Origin
8
Crew
0
Units


GROUND ATTACK
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
X-PLANE
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.


117.3 ft
(35.75 meters)
Length
207.0 ft
(63.10 meters)
Width/Span
50.9 ft
(15.50 meters)
Height
198,008 lb
(89,815 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight


4 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" air-cooled radial piston engines developing 3,000 horsepower each.
Propulsion
PROPOSED:
2 x 0.50 caliber Browning M2 heavy machine guns in forward dorsal turret.
2 x 0.50 caliber Browning M2 heavy machine guns in ventral turret.
2 x 37mm automatic cannons in tail position.

Up to 25,000lb of internally-held stores.


0
Hardpoints


Model 423 - Douglas company model deisgnation


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images



1 / 1
Image of the Douglas Model 423
Image from the Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)